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fashioning the private man by teaching him "the whole duty of man" in all the relations of life.

Our state of Society and Government furnish ample illustration. Let us suppose that Republican School Masters were to employ the largest portion of the time of their Scholars in teaching them the principles and histories of monarchies, in setting before them the lives and deaths of Tyrants, and in recommending to their admiration the sentiments and opinions of Despots. This would be strange evidence of republican attachments; and yet it would not be more inconsistent, than the general practice of christian instructors in banishing the Scriptures and clinging to pagan authors, as the bosom friends of youth? In vain under the former state of things, with such unnatural and pernicious influences, would the Patriot look for citizens, intelligent and high minded, admiring and practicing rational and regulated freedom. Such schemes would never make the Patriot Freeman, whose character as portrayed in Lucan, has no parallel in Homer or Virgil, and of which the finest thought was doubtless borrowed from the life and death of the Savior.

"Hi mores, hæc duri immota Catonis,

Secta fuit servare modum finemque tenere,
Naturamque sequi patriæque impendere vitam,
Nec sibi sed toti genitum se credere mundo."

In vain, under the latter, do we look for a divine manifestation of the glory and beauty, of the holiness, purity, meekness and humility of the Christian life.

Reli

The tendency of the existing state of things cannot be mistaken; for we behold their effects all around us. gion is degraded from its proper elevation, and stripped of its daily, hourly influences, in the development and formation of character. An abiding sense of its truth and value, a deep reverence for the Bible and its precepts, habitual recurrence to them, as the only standard of duty and the only guide to happiness; the acknowledgment of its authority, in all the affairs of life; a ready acquiescence in its lawful control over the conscience and heart; and its ever-living, ever-moving influence over the whole character in thought, word and deed, are actually unknown to a vast extent, under the practical operation of the present system. But change that system, by incorporating the study of the Bible with the whole of education, as neither too lofty for the subordinate, nor too humble for the most dignified branches, and we may expect a great improvement in the religious and moral character of each successive generation.

May we not derive an argument in favor of these views, from a well known fact? I refer to the great superiority, both of man and woman, in all the relations of life, under the influence of Christianity, over the character of both sexes, among heathen nations, not excepting even Greece and Rome. Whether we regard private character, in its personal, domestic and social attributes, or public character in its home or foreign relations, this superiority is manifest." That other causes have co-operated with Christianity, in producing these results, cannot be doubted; but this has exerted a far greater power than those. Two illustrations of this position occur to me. The first is, that there exists a wider difference between the ancients and moderns, as to private, than public character. This has arisen from the fact that Christianity has met with less to counteract its infiuences, in private than in public life.-The connection between Church and State, in Europe, so far from meliorating the character of public men, has tended, in the opinion of our country, at least, to corrupt and degrade it. The influence of Christianity, in the form of church establishments, is not the legitimate influence of a pure, humble, holy religion; but of wealth and talents, rank and patronage, under the form of a great national institution, political rather than ecclesiastical, and ecclesiastical rather than religious. When it is considered also, that all Europe, with hardly an exception, has been under the government of hereditary Monarchs, that scarcely any of these have been religious men;* that hereditary nobles, corrupted by wealth, power, and family pride, have been always around them, and that so many public men have belonged to noble families, or have been connected with them, we are not surprised, that Christianity should have exerted so little influence, in the formation of public character, among the nations of Europe. It may be affirmed with confidence, that an opposite state of things existing in this country, very different results might have been expected. The public character of the United States, whether we look to the great men whom we have produced, or to the nation itself, exhibits, in general, a higher standard of simplicity, candor and dignity-of virtue, moderation, and good sense. In the old world, Christianity, though subject to many grievous oppressions, though 'deformed and debased, has had a sensible influence on private character. Whenever a reasonable opportunity has been af

* See Note H.

ments.

forded, as is more especially the case in England, it has purified and elevated the individual, and has given a beauty and propriety, a spirit of benevolence, duty and usefulness to private character, unexampled in Greece or Rome. To all the relations of private life, it has imparted a loveliness and dignity, a value and authority, unknown before. It has raised the standard of duty, it has furnished higher motives to usefulness; it has multiplied and exalted rational enjoyWith such power, even under all the disadvantages and discouragements, that encircle it, private life, in modern Christian Europe, must then have excelled private life among the Greeks and Romans. If we turn to our own country, these views are confirmed; for, as on the one hand, Christianity is unshackled and unmutilated by the institutions, prejudices and superstitions of Europe, so on the other, we, at least, have the satisfaction of believing, that private character has attained with us, a higher standard in general, under Christian influences, than in Europe.

The second illustration, to which I refer, is found in the fact, that the improvement of woman has exceeded that of man. All, who are acquainted with the history of female character, in ancient and modern Europe, are aware, that Christianity has meliorated in an extraordinary degree, the condition of women. Religion has restored them to their natural station in society, as wives and mothers, as daughters and sisters. It has given them the influence of temper, manners and affection, of sense and virtue, instead of the power of a haughty, though degraded favorite, or of a wedded partner, little less than a prisoner for life. It has indeed given "unto them, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." Christianity has enlarged and dignified the sphere of their duty and usefulness, has purified their feelings, cultivated their understandings, and given them a tenfold reward of virtuous enjoyments. Under such influences, women have arisen from the degradation and wretchedness, to which they had been consigned, even by classic Paganism. They have nobly vindicated their rights, by the honorable and efficient discharge of the higher and better duties allotted to them. Our own country certainly affords the most complete and satisfactory exemplification of this contrast.

* Note I.

Let us now consider the chief argument, derived from this view of female character. Not only has Religion exalted modern, above ancient female character; but it has improved the modern woman, more than the modern man. Perhaps, it may be said, that there was more room for improvement, in the condition and attributes of the former, than of the latter.-Whether this be so or not, is immaterial; for if a greater change has been wrought, in the same period of time, in the one, than in the other, and religion has produced it, my argument is still the same. If both were originally on a level, and the former is now more advanced than the latter, my proof is complete. Or if woman had been more degraded than man; and both have exceedingly improved, yet in such a ratio, that the former is now as far advanced as the latter, still my conclusion is just. In point of fact, women are actually in a higher state of improvement than men, so far as the influences of Christianity are concerned. If man boasts of the religion of the understanding, and of a more varied and extensive religious knowledge, woman excels him in the religion of the heart. All her affections are the bosom friends of Religion, whenever she is piously disposed. Her tenderness of heart, her sensibility of conscience, the nature of her duties, and trials, and griefs, her freedom from the temptations of selfishness and vice, of wealth, and ambition, of false honor and false pride, the inward character of her resources against disappointment and sorrow, pain and misfortune, all contribute to make the personal religion of women, more consistent and firm, more simple, pure, and fervent, than that of men. number of pious women has always exceeded that of pious men and the religious character of the female sex has generally, approached nearer to the perfect example of the Savior.

The

Let us now resume the argument on the subject of education, as sustained by the two illustrations just given. I have said that man, in modern times, has become, from the operation of Christianity, a more elevated being in the scale of creation, than man, in Pagan Greece and Rome. I have said also that this difference is more perceptible, in private, than in public life, in the character of woman, than in that of man and that the reason is, because Religion has been enabled to exert a more steady, intimate, natural influence in private, than in public life, and over woman, than over man. From these premises, I reason thus. We see that

the power of religion is less over men, in public, than in prí vate life. How can this be remedied? Assuredly, in no other way, than by multiplying and strengthening its influences in private life. The private man eventually becomes the public man. We cannot indeed single out the few, who are destined for public stations, from the many, who are to remain in retirement. We must, therefore, educate all, so as to subject every one to the influences, which are so important to public character. This must be done in youth, if done at all; and how can we better accomplish it than by the proposed union, between secular and religious education.. When Leonora Galligai was accused of employing the arts of sorcery to influence Mary de Medicis, she replied, that she had used only that power, which great minds have over weak ones. Such is the control, which ought to be exercised by Public Men, over the multitudes, subjected to their lawful authority. And how can their dominion over life, character, liberty, and property, over private and public happiness and improvement, attain the height of moral excellence and moral power, unless their superiority be founded on the religion of the Bible, the purest fountain of moral excellence, the noblest instrument of moral power? But we have also seen, that from circumstances, arising out of the peculiarity of their respective situations, men are less liable to be affected and governed by religion than woIt is impossible to assimilate the condition of men to that of women, in respect to the peculiar causes, which have given such an ascendancy to Christian influences, over the character of women. Hence it is obvious, that we ought to shape our schemes of education, with a view to this state of things. Let us endeavor then to train the youth, so as to place him from the earliest, to the latest period of instruction, under the daily influences of religion, as a vital, inseparable ingredient in the daily bread of education. And how can this be done, safely, wisely, effectually, unless by the introduction of the Bible, as a text book, at every stage of his progress, from the primary school to the university.

men.

The importance of these considerations may be still farther illustrated, by the following view. In Heathen countries, both ancient and modern, we find an exact conformity between the character of religion, as a cause, and that of individuals and nations, as an effect. This corresponds so accurately in its lineaments and character to that, as to leave no doubt, that the former was the master hand, which sketch

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